Library seeks to recover after blast

These are tough times for libraries. Their state aid is being cut and a pending bill in the state Legislature would do away with a dedicated fund that guarantees a regular stream of property tax money for some municipal libraries.

An explosion in the basement doesn't help matters. But that is what now confronts the Joint Library of Morristown and Morris Township. On May 3, an underground explosion blew a manhole cover into the air outside the library on South Street.

Such blasts have been common. There have been three in Morristown in the last six months and Jersey Central Power & Light Company, which owns and operates the underground grid, has struggled to identify and correct the cause, or causes, of the explosions. There were no injuries in the latest explosion, but it damaged the entire library, particularly the Willis Wing, which was constructed in 1917.

"The library staff is working day and night to put portions of the building back into a condition where the library can resume serving the public," says a recent statement by Eric A. Inglis, the president of the Morristown and Morris Township Library Foundation. The foundation is seeking donations to help pay for library repairs. They can be sent to the foundation at One Miller Road, Morristown, N.J. 07960.

We hope the public is generous and we also hope that one of the first donations comes from JCP&L.

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Library seeks to recover after blast

These are tough times for libraries. Their state aid is being cut and a pending bill in the state Legislature would do away with a dedicated fund that guarantees a regular stream of property tax

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